Schoolyard stuff as Raps beat Clips, Davis shines

They must have changed the definition of a turnover because I cannot believe each team is only charged with 12 turnovers apiece. It honestly looked like every other play in this game was either a bad pass or a strip which led to a fast-break opportunity that was inexplicably wasted. It all made for a fairly entertaining Sunday evening capped off with a Raptors win, the offensive hero was Andrea Bargnani and the player of the game was Ed Davis.

Jay Triano had Amir Johnson guarding Blake Griffin and by now you should know that Johnson has learnt how to make life tough for anybody he’s guarding. His defensive growth has gone largely unnoticed amidst all the losing, and when people talk about his game evolving they’re usually referring to his jumper or post-move. When he has been tasked to do so over the last couple weeks, he’s held his own and made things tough for Andrew Bogut, Kevin Love, Josh Smith, and know Blake Griffin. Johnson only played 14 minutes before coming off with an injury which might make you wonder why I’m dedicating a whole paragraph to him. It’s because he didn’t let Griffin get off to a flyer and gave Ed Davis, watching from the bench, an idea on how one might defend Griffin.

Whichever power forward the Raptors had on Griffin was basically taken out of any help sequences – when you’re guarding a player as agile as Griffin, it’s going to be tough to focus elsewhere. This meant that Baron Davis and Randy Foye didn’t have much in terms of help defense to deal with in the first half on their ventures to the rim. P.J Carlesimo called Baron Davis’ treatment of Jose Calderon and Jerryd Bayless as “overpowering” and he was right, the Clippers made it a point to go at Calderon in the post and off the bounce. The Raptors switched Weems and Barbosa on him for stints which quelled him just a bit.

Offense wasn’t the problem for either team, the Raptors had Andrea Bargnani (27pts, 6reb, 9-21 FG, 8-9FT) and DeMar DeRozan (17pts, 7-18FG, 7reb) going and the Clippers were benefitting from Baron Davis, Blake Griffin and Brian Cook’s contributions, the latter very much seeking his offense against Bargnani. The Raptors shot 55% in the first quarter and were at 48% at the half, the Clippers were at 47% and 49%, respectively. You often hear commentators talk about young teams making mistakes and not knowing how to win, this game epitomized such colloquialisms as there were long stretches of play where the basic fundamentals of passing and dribbling were entirely ignored. Add to it a veteran like Baron Davis, otherwise having a great game running the show, reduced to unnecessarily executing pointless behind-the-leg dribbles and you almost felt like you were at the Vince Carter All-Star Classic.

The game just might just be the official announcement of Ed Davis on the up-and-coming power forward scene, his game in Dallas was nothing short of awesome, but I’ll go ahead and say this one takes the cake because of who it was against. As the game got out of control and the shooting percentages dropped (Raps ended at 42.7%, Clips at 41.6%), this became a game of which team was going to get more shots at the rim. Ed Davis had six offensive rebounds on his way to a 13/14 night, that’s six extra possessions which was the decisive stat in the game – the Clippers had 77 possessions and the Raptors had 82.

The things he does don’t make it to the ESPN highlight reel, they aren’t glamorous and smooth, he just does the things that you need someone to do in a basketball game in order for your team to have a chance to win. He’s that guy you want to have on your pickup team because you know he’s going to fight in the paint and always give you a chance. The game-high three blocks are pure gravy and a testament to his comprehension of how to play defense. He fights very hard for low-post and rebounding position, and if the point guard is on the same page with him he can provide high-percentage opportunities. He’s got just the right amount of skill mixed in with his length and athleticism that he’s able to get off a hook if he’s within reasonable striking range. Davis is behind Blake Griffin and DeMarcus Cousins in rookie PER48 rebounding (over 15 minutes of PT), and this is with him missing a good chunk of the season. Good things to come.

The game was tight throughout with the Raptors pushing it to 6 or 7 points and some careless plays allowing the Clippers to stick around. When it came time to hit the big shot, Bargnani hit a massive three, schooled Griffin on a fake for free-throws, and then got an off-the-glass And1 for 9 fourth quarter points. Davis’ four rebounds in the fourth also helped steady the ship and the Raptors came out with a win. DeRozan started off strong before cooling off, Barbosa did the opposite, and Weems couldn’t distinguish himself from Trey Johnson. Let’s not fool ourselves, the Raptors beat a very bad team. “I wish we could we could play a big game every night because every time we play a team with a superstar or a lot of hype around it, we definitely step up and we did tonight,” said DeMar DeRozan after this one. I don’t like that quote, a team as poor as the Raptors shouldn’t need a superstar to motivate them, looking at the standings should be enough.

Jose Calderon deserves a lot of credit for keeping his nerve against Baron Davis, he was getting torn apart by the Clipper and I’m sure the halftime speech articulated that fact over again. He got into it with Davis after he had one of his drives nullified, and instead of allowing Davis to get in his head, Jose responded not by making it about himself, but by tightening his passing and attacking the Clippers in transition. Calderon’s 10 assists were massive, especially in the second half when Brian Cook and Baron Davis had shifted the mometum over to the LA side.

There’s a forum thread about who the Raptors should trade for, and names like Flynn, Mayo and Bradley are popping up. The guy we saw last night – Eric Bledsoe – is right up there as a potentially dangerous point guard. His speed in the first quarter was eye-popping and he’s got a good drive-and-kick game in him, he did tail off as the game went along and finished off with a whimper but I’d be very interested to see what kind of career he’s going to have. Point guards of his size, stature and skill can go either way – you have Rajon Rondo and Jrue Holiday, but you also have T.J Ford and Daniel Gibson. Somewhere in between you have Eric Maynor, D.J Augustin and Jerryd Bayless. What separates mediocre from good in this case? Hard to say, perhaps you can enlighten, there’s the obvious things like a jumper and scoring ability, but I’d say that court-vision, composure and a reliable dribble is what will allow a team to stick through a point guard when he’s having a tough go at it.

I’ll end with praising Jack Armstrong for his great analysis of what makes Baron Davis so dangerous – he keeps his dribble alive, protects it, and waits for his teammates to get into the right position before delivery. Over the years I’ve enjoyed Armstrong’s take on the subtleties of the game, it’s just too bad that whatever he says is quickly drowned out by the babble of Matt Devlin who’s busy trying unsuccessfully to make routine Raptor scores sound like the Play Of The Season. Sadly, the two cancel each other out.

Up next is Chris Bosh’s return. I’m not sure if I have a post scheduled before that so let me say this now. If you’re going to the game and his name is announced, or if he touches the ball, don’t boo, don’t cheer, just do nothing. The Raptors accomplished nothing in his seven years, the franchise didn’t take a step forward but also didn’t exactly take one back. We were crap when he came here and were crap when he left. If I had to describe his stay in Toronto in one word, it would be ‘Meh’. So when you see him on the ACC floor, just think ‘Meh’.

I’d have to agree re: Bosh, but I’ll add my own reason. He doesn’t deserve the recognition. You know he can’t wait to be booed and nothing would hurt him worse than meh silence.

Billytorbay

My own rationale for not booing is that it would diminish the boos we give Vince Carter every time he comes to town. Vince deserves the visceral hatred T.O. fans pour on, Bosh doesn’t. To boo him would confuse the two.

Anon

i actually would rather boo bosh than carter. yes what vince did was a slap in the face, although i would blame the management more on that one. he left coz of the lack of talent on the team. and i think he has suffered enough over the course of his career. when he was here, he was ranked among the top 10 players, among the top sg’s that time behind AI and kobe. he was ok in new jersey but they never got past round 2 on the playoffs. i thought last season with the magic was his big break but, he is not the same player he was. and now ends up in phoenix, a team who is currently rebuilding and not in anyways a contender. his highlighted success so far was how amazing, great and painful he played against us. but nonetheless, he is still the greatest raptor of all time so far.

bosh is/was ok. he could have been a number 1 guy, but he wasnt. he didnt have the balls and the heart to be one. yes, he was a nice guy, saying he loves toronto and all that. but last season, was more of a stab in the back. he gave us false hope. if from the start he knew he was leaving, he could have stated that already to management so we could have dealt him/tried to deal him (similar to the melo situation). at least we could already move on. but last season, we actually were in playoff contention and number 6. this could have benefited our young guys who havent experienced the playoffs yet. jay triano could also have benefited from the experience. but after the all-star game, rupaul shut himself down after posting career highs. and in the games that would matter he could have played (kobe would have played, pierce and kg would have played, etc.) as his presence could have made a difference. and then we all know what happened next. he says his bullshit lies about loving toronto and that it is a tough decision on his part, but then says that toronto actually feels different and says shit about having bad cable, and all that crap.

that is why i hate bosh more than VC. after VC left, he never badmouthed the team or the city after wards. he did his talking on the court. it hurts but it is more classy i would say.

to differentiate between the 2, i would still boo carter, but i would prefer bosh being also chanted with “overrated” just like what the knicks did, or “rupaul!”.

http://www.wearingfilm.com/picketfence/ Tim W.

I think booing either one is pointless. It just highlights how petty and insecure Toronto fans can be. Vince has been gone more than 5 years and people STILL boo him? It’s more embarrassing than anything.

Bosh certainly could have handled his exit a lot better, but I don’t blame him for losing. The team couldn’t manage to surround him with enough talent, and his leaving probably helped the team in the long run. Besides, if you really want to piss him off, no reaction would be the worst thing you could do. All booing is going to do is make him and his teammates play harder and realize how much he is missed.

Darien

I was hoping we’d lose, but Ed Davis makes me feel hope.

Pesterm1

ur messed up and are not a TRUE fan.

http://www.wearingfilm.com/picketfence/ Tim W.

Of course, TRUE fans don’t judge how others show their allegiance to their team.

Pesterm1

says who ? lol

Nilanka15

You clearly don’t realize the importance of draft position

RenaldoSugarbush

I’m going to cheer when his name is announced out of respect for all the years he put in a Raps uniform but that’s about it.
I won’t boo him though, that’s low class.

Webcrawler89

“Somewhere in between you have Eric Maynor, D.J Augustin and Jerryd Bayless. What separates mediocre from good in this case? Hard to say, perhaps you can enlighten, there’s the obvious things like a jumper and scoring ability, but I’d say that court-vision, composure and a reliable dribble is what will allow a team to stick through a point guard when he’s having a tough go at it.”

I have to disagree with Bayless being mediocre. I think he’s a pretty bad pg, he doesn’t seem to contribute much offensively or defensively, he constantly plays like he has something to prove, but the slightest positive he does (ie, after making 3 straight 3pters against portland) makes him act like the biggest douchebag on the planet, walking around with a swagger that’s completely unjustified. I would seriously want to trade him away.

Other than that, not sure what else to say, I didn’t get to watch this game, but I like the read, seems like we’re gonna be finally set at PF with both AJ and ED. now we just need to figure out the spots…

Pester1

Are you serious ??? lol before we had absoloutley no swagger, so we get guys that have it now we have guys complaining baout the swagger. who cares if bayless is walking around like he is king of the court. GOOD its about time somone does . gawd man posts like this sicken me. our team has no one else that would do what bayless does and if you look around the league there are tons of players with attitude like bayless. and atleast bayless’ attitude is posotive towards his own team and shows the raps have a backbone. I wish everyone on the raps had that swagger atleast then , when we loose we still put up a fight and oput some fear into the other team. maybe you should cheer for the cavs ???

Webcrawler89

There’s a difference between Ray Allen/Kobe/Amar’e style of swagger, where the player actually gets something done, and then there’s the Al Harrington/J.R. Smith/Cap’n Jack swagger, where even the smallest thing makes the player think their God. Bayless seems kind of like the latter. DD and ED have shown me glimpses of the former. Besides, for a pg, Bayless has horrible tunnel-vision right now, he infrequently passes, and often. The guy is playing too much for himself right now because he’s trying to prove he’s better than what portland or NO thought of him. Either fix the ‘tude or we ship your ass out like the last two teams did.

If we’re gonna rebuild, let’s at least try to do it right, and not just settle because “before we had absoloutley no swagger”.

Webcrawler89

*and often drives into the lane without any plan…cut me some slack its really early/i really should go to sleep now.

Milesboyer

Swagger is meaningless if you can’t back it up. Bayless is like a little dog with a loud bark.

Mediumcore

Here’s to hoping Ed has a major growth spurt over the off season. This kid needs to be our starting C next season so he can play along side Amir in the starting line up. Interior defense problems solved.

Theswirsky

“Jose Calderon deserves a lot of credit for keeping his nerve against Baron Davis, he was getting torn apart by the Clipper and I’m sure the halftime speech articulated that fact over again.”

I don’t get this. In the first half Jose covered Baron for around 6 minutes in the first quarter. In that time he gave up 4 pts to Baron (2 in a post up 2 from the ft line). From there on in a combination of Bayless, Barbossa and Johnson guarded him. Similar in the 2nd half… Jose spent most of his time standing in the corner covering Bledsoe and Foye (who really weren’t doing much).

Davis also did alot of his damage in post ups, breaks off of steals and a few spot up shots… very little to no penetration. Most of it against guys other than Jose.

arsenalist

I think we’re saying the same thing.

Baron was posting him up, getting past him in the first and he was getting visibly frustrated. It carried over to the second half and finally came to the technical foul in the third. Jose’s own shot wasn’t helping things and he was thwarted till the third quarter, even Jack Armstrong made mention of this.

Re: Davis v other guys. IIRC, they did a better job, I think Carlesimo felt the same.

Mavs_ovr_any1

Was at the game. They player who did the best job on Davis was Trey Johnson. After Trey was put on him Baron cooled down the rest of the game

smushmush

which is why Trey Johnson should be resigned for the rest of the season. I would like him as a 3rd PG on this team for a while. Trey Johnson plays decent defense, makes plays for others and is not looking to get his. The way he plays is mature and this guy is looking quite like a find lol.

Valit

good victory for the boys. I think we can safely say that DeRozan, Davis and Johnson are keepers for the next season. Andrea played well ( including some defense) and I think Clippers payed the price for not scouting enough his pump fakes ( I wonder what Iavaroni was saying…). Jose played steady and you can see the huge difference when he runs the show compared to Bayless . As a matter of fact, I think that since he was traded to Raps, Bayless kinda regressed ( maybe injury..maybe attitude..). We all know that Baron Davis is a thrash talker and a douchebag and I know he frustrated the hell of Jose but at least the Spaniard did not loose the cool. Oh, Sonny was in the line up too…

Milesboyer

Agreed. Now if someone could just explain why Triano feels the need to start Weems (or even play him much for that matter) unless it’s part of a tanking mission.

smushmush

+1, we don’t know why Julian Wright keeps getting DNP-CDs from Jay Triano. He is the best perimeter defender on this team and if Jay Triano is really worried about Julian Wright’s wonky shot, the shot can be repaired by the Alex English of wings on our team – Eric Hughes(DD’s jumpshot has gotten better by leaps and bounds, it is unfortunate, however that he has fallen in love with the jumpshot too much lol).

Sek99

A lot of hate on Weems recently. Not sure where it’s coming from. The guy has shown he can play D, provide offense, and be a good ball distributor. He’s had bad games, but who hasn’t on the this team? He’s not a bad SG who makes less than 1 million a year who on occasion plays brilliantly and sometimes gives a shit performance, mostly I think he helps the team though. The guy shot seven times, scored 10 points, had 0 TO, 2 steals and 2 offensive rebounds in 22 minutes. What an asshole. Are people seriously complaining about that line? He’s a decent SG who can play D, provide O and has potential. JuJu is a good passer and a good defender who has trouble finishing at the rim and shooting. I like JuJu and think he should get more minutes, but I’d say Barbosa who shoots the ball every time he touches it and Bargs lack of D hurt the team WAY more.

Jop

Nice article. Raps may be one of the worst teams in the league, but they sure know how to fill the stands.

BTW, I’d like to hear a loud chorus of boos when RuPaul(Avatar, Dinosaur, Predator etc) comes back, I’d like to make LeBron go “damn, and I thought I had it bad.”

Me

Boo Bosh and watch him hit a game-winning 3 pointer……Bosh is nothing, he doesn’t deserve boos or cheers, maybe a cup of beer in the face, but nothing more.

Balls of Steel

I don’t want to poo-poo on the parade but Brian Cook sure didn’t look like a has-been (17 / 6). It’s great that AB7 can revive careers.

Nilanka15

Bargnani made Cook look like a reicarnated Karl Malone…

smushmush

but at least Bargs gave Brian Cook the elixir of life but the next game, Brian Cook becomes ordinary again lol. What do you want to say about Jose Calderon that revives careers and the person whose career was revived goes on a major resuscitation for 10+ games a la T-mac of the Detroit Pistons? lmao.

Nilanka15

Can we expect Jamaal Magloire to finish with 22 and 10 in 15 minutes on Wednesday? 😉

Balls of Steel

Oh yeah, boo Bosh, to what, give him more motivation? Hey, come to think of it, we should’ve booed him more while he was here. We could’ve been in the playoffs last year.

smushmush

I think the best thing to do is to give him a standing ovation when he is introduced – he has done a lot for this franchise without a supporting cast from BC through the whole 7 years(infact Bill Simmons and some teams announcers say that Bosh’s supporting cast was way worse than LeBron’s supporting cast that could not win the title, so are we saying Danny Ferry is better than BC? This should not be discussed imo as both guys are atrocious GMs(Danny Ferry not trading JJ Hickson for Stoudemire was a bad blunder) and during the game, give him an air of indifference or silence. If you were in Bosh’s shoes and you had to choose between a Ferari and a Toyota yaris(similar case situation to being offered a better job with more pay without the heavier workload than your former job), which would you choose? The answer is obvious and you should know which team is the Toyota yaris lol.

KJ-B

That paragraph dedidicated to Amir Johnson is totally and utterly– you know what, I won’t diss on Feb 14th… Just give the rook his due…Amir Johnson is the King of Reaching-In and he gets credit for this?!

Sek99

Amir had some tough calls tonight concerning the fouls. But he also made it hard on Griffin right from the beginning. That can get to guy. If things come easy at the beginning, some guys can just explode. Amir helped make sure that happened.

Jonathan

completely agree. Amir had at least 2 calls on him were there was no physical contact. Foul # 5 specifically. Amir and Davis should play together though.. Davis has higher IQ but nobody finishes at the rim like Amir on this team.

Daniel

Arse, the difference between good and bad PG’s is in the application on the court of meta-cognitive skills. The reason why PG position is by far the toughest to learn in NBA is that the fundamental skills (passing, dribbling, passing) are not enough in order to be successful. Decision-making, peripheral vision, controlling the tempo are meta-skills that are hard to learn in a vacuum not to mention in a game with NBA speed. For me the eseential skill for a PG is decision-making. That’s why I didn’t like PG’s like TJ, JJ and Bayless: they displayed poor decision-making throughout the entire game. We are blessed with a PG with fantastic decision-making ability and in our good tradition of getting rid of talented players we want to run him out of town. Calderon is at the same level as Kidd and Nash in his decision-making ability: “old-school” PG’s who understand the nuances of the game and always control it. Also that’s why they make everyone better around them.
One more note: I’m not sold at all on these “new age” PG’s (by the way, I’ve seen at least 4-5 “new age” movement in b-ball that all fizzled in favour of fundamental b-ball). All they want is to score because they are a product of the new rules and not new skills or meta-skills. They all strike me as very poor decision-makers and I don’t think they’ll win anything in NBA if they are the first scoring option. Of course, I may be wrong and go the way of Sloan, whose departure didn’t generate a peep around these parts…

Daniel

I’ll use a different angle to exemplify my theory: the change of scenery angle. It is being said that different players need a change of scenery to be successful – Bayless, Flynn, etc. As we can see with Bayless, it is not the scenery that needs to change, it is the player that needs a-changing. Calderon proved he can play in half-court and in a faster tempo, as a starter or off the bench, with or without Bosh. Adaptability is a powerful sign of mastering the meta-skills necessary to be successful in any environment. It is not different than any place of work: a good manager knows the employee that is and will be successful in almost any job based on attitude, work ethic and skill adaptability.
Of course even limited skillsets will be more suitable to certain situations: Hedo comes to mind. The marginal value of these players though is quite limited because in play-offs one needs to adapt his skillsset to the opponent. PG position though needs to be more adaptable of all b-ball positions for a variety of reasons. I’m not conccerned for Calderon being successful somewhere else – I’m more concerned for our young team getting a scoring PG that will make anyone worsse not better.

arsenalist

Good post, I find that GMs are willing to wait for the decision-making part to come along as long as the PG can play defense and “break down” teams. It’s tempting, a quick PG at the point of attack can wreak havoc and I understand the experiment, not to mention that GMs fall in love with athleticism. I wonder if a guy like Mark Jackson would even be drafted these days. It comes down to the NCAA not producing the type of player the NBA is hoping to get, and GMs are looking for the next Rondo so will take chances.

As yous said, PG is a very difficult spot and unless you’re a Chris Paul type, the first year is a 100% learning experience where little to no contribution should be expected. Only development. Decision-making can be improved, it’s not like you have it or you don’t, so I get teams sticking through the TJ Fords.

Sek99

TJ Ford was pretty good PG in T.O. We had, I think, our best season of all time with him at the helm (for parts at least).

Jose is a good passer, but he’s not Steve Nash, or J Kidd. There are different kinds of assists. Jose makes good decisions, which get him assists, whereas Nash and J Kidd will actively create situations where the assist is right at the rim or with the guy wide open. Jose can’t create an assist (with a drive and kick for example) and I don’t often see him getting many assists that lead to easy baskets. Amir has good hands and is a good finisher in traffic, DD can’t miss a shot coming off a screen right now, and other than that I don’t really remember Joses assists. All assists are not equal. Just like a huge Blake Griffin dunk will usually have more of an effect on the game than a simple jumpshot.

As far as ‘new school’ PGs go, its not like Westbrook and Rose aren’t passing the ball. They are just able to score the ball in different ways than a Steve Nash would be able to. Especially with the way the game is called today, they’ve already proven they are pretty useful. Tony Parker isn’t a traditional PG, and I thinks hes got a couple of rings, and he’s usually looking to score. I believe he even has a finals MVP. Hell, even the Lakers had trouble last year with OKC because of Westbrook. Durant was playing like shit in that series, and it was Westbrook who kept them in it. So I guess what I’m trying to say is, I disagree.

Theswirsky

“Jose can’t create an assist”

I don’t agree with this. Its just his assists aren’t as pretty (or amazing) as guys like Rondo, Nash or Paul. Every game you see numerous nice, but simple, passes by Jose. It doesn’t have to be no look or around to back to create a bucket.

“I don’t often see him getting many assists that lead to easy baskets”

I would argue almost all his assists lead to easy baskets. Very few assists in this league are on tough baskets, and when someone gets a tough basket its often not assisted.

“I don’t really remember Joses assists”

this is a big part of it. I don’t either… and when I look at the box score I’m usually amazed by the number he has. But that doesn’t mean they were any less effective than anyone elses. Getting the ball to the right person at the right time is more important than how the pass looked.

Sek99

Derozan shooting off a screen requires DD to hit the shot, and has little to do with the pass and more about the shooter. Nash will drive, take the defender out of the play, and dish to a big for an easy dunk. That’s the difference. One can be missed, the other really can’t miss unless you’re big baby.

Theswirsky

so you don’t think Nash has a ton of assists off of others jump shots? Do you know how many jumpers Amare has hit in his life? Marion? Barbossa? Diaw? Bell? Hill? Frye?

Please. We see the highlight reel plays by Nash, Paul etc… and yeah they are nice. But thats not even close to how ALL their assists come.

Nash, Paul, Rondo, Williams get just as many assists off of others hitting jumpers as Calderon does

Sek99

I still disagree. Watch a Celtics game. Rondo doesn’t often just pass to a guy running off a screen (unless it’s Ray Allen, who’s the best in the league at that) and usually penetrates than dishes. Same with Nash. Jose is a good decision maker, but these other guys you mentioned can actually create a good situation for the shooter/driver, which I don’t think Calderon can. Sure they do often get assists the same way Calderon does, but they just as often get assists that I don’t think Calderon would be able to create.

Nilanka15

I gotta agree with Sek on this one. Calderon, as well as players like Paul, Deron, Rondo, Nash, etc. earn a lot of their assists by making the simple pass to open shooters. But where Calderon lacks, is his ability to create an easy bucket out of nothing in a halfcourt set. He doesn’t have a crossover, he doesn’t have a spin move, he doesn’t have a stutter step, and he most definitely doesn’t have the quicks. Calderon cannot put pressure on the defense without using a screen.

Calderon needs a system to be effective. Whereas the top PGs can create their own “system” when required (e.g. short clock situations).

Theswirsky

I’m not saying that thats wrong….more that he is effective despite that. I don’t think he is a heavy penetrator with lots of moves. But he does still lead players to easy buckets through smart passes vs fancy ones.

I also don’t think Jose needs a “system” to be effective. I also don’t think Jose creates his own “system”. Rather he would be effective in any system.

pran

what bothers me more is paul,deron,rondo,(not nash) all world class defenders…..calderon does not have the lateral speed to stay in front of his man.

smushmush

Unfortunately, elite PGs like Chris Paul and Deron Williams that play as you describe have not won any championship lol. Jose’s terrible defense and the stinking up the court offense that he has been going through for a month(built many Eiffel towers and World Trade Centers with the bricked shots lmao) gives back all he contributes on offense through assists lol. In my opinion, I would want a defensive PG that can make shots in the clutch(even if he does not show up for the next 3 quarters), knows his spots to makes shots and averages at least 7 assists a game a la Andre Miller, Jrue Holiday and Jonny Flynn(average PGs according to Tim W.). Funny thing is that those average PGs have a long career and are starting for playoff contenders at old age when they should be backups a la Andre Miller and they hardly get injured because they do not have to depend on athleticism – an adequate post move for a PG and knowing their shooting spots on the floor where they can get their shots off will do.

Rapthoseleafs

.
As I’ve said before, if Raptors snag a quality PG from the draft, Bayless could find himself on the out. No way they start Jarryd – he’d have a hard time relinquishing the Starter role to any upcoming PG. Which is why Jose would stay to mentor the new guy, and retreat to a Bench role when the “student” has surpassed his teacher.
.
Unless BC gets an offer he can’t refuse, I think JC stays. Should Bayless stay, Raptors could have a future Folderon to worry about again. With an upside PG, Raps can’t afford deja vu again.
.

Cal S

where the hell is roll call?

Nilanka15

At some point, a decision will need to be made on Amir and Davis. In the long-term, it doesn’t seem possible to keep both players on our roster, unless one is willing to take a back seat to the other.

As much as I appreciate Amir’s game, I would be more willing to part with him, and let Davis do his thing next year.

Theswirsky

I don’t see how keeping both would be an issue. Just one has to start, the other backs him up. Can play some time beside each other when the other team’s C isn’t ‘that big’.

Nilanka15

I was more thinking from an ego perspective. Amir has gone on record saying that his goal is to become the starting PF. Davis, although young and quiet right now, is a UNC alumn and a lottery pick. I assume he’ll want those 35 mpg as well at some point. Especially if he bulks up this summer, and works on his low-post moves.

Theswirsky

cross that bridge when you get there.

KJ-B

Davis is a stud, AJ is a solid role player…Ain’t nuthin’ changed there! We’re finally seeing Special Ed with his legs under him and why he was the best forward available in this past draft…He’s very much a player on the Joakim Noah tip, with more upside offensively…

And yah, he can still grow an inch or so by the time he turns 21–that wouldn’t be unheardof… What was a pleasant surprise for me was, the fact that #7 played more like himself, and what he was drafted to do with a shot blocker/rebounder presence behind him in the paint… essentially play PF sans power! His moves won’t premeditated and he made the D pay by reading and reacting instead of just chucking for the fun of it…

Rapthoseleafs

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Game thoughts
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> Davis – with 15 to 20 more pounds for next season – could be our de facto Center (on the defensive side at least).

> Amir could become an asset that is moved. His value has to be at a premium right now, and painful as it would be (same way I feel about Kaberle), tough decisions have to be made for Toronto to go forward. I can’t see him settling for a Bench role, first Big or not.

> Bayless may have potential to be a dominant PG, but Raps don’t have the time to find out. Unless of course, Toronto decides to avoid the PG spot in the upcoming draft, and doesn’t use any of its’ current assets to find another one.

> We still need a SF. Wings may normally be of the scoring variety, but Raptors need a Wright + 1 (ie. a better model). The draft would be a nice start. Weems needs to back-up Demar at SG (or move on).

> Derozan is getting pretty smooth on those jump shots. As long as he maintains a certain level of attack mode (and post more FT attempts), he can work on his defense now, in the summer, and during the round of exhibition games.
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This game was one more opportunity to see how well Davis does alongside Andrea. With a little stronger Ed, that pairing could work. ED though, has to work on his FT’s this summer. I can see this Raptor team starting next year, with only Davis, Derozan, Bargnani, and Jose as the core. Kleiza I don’t count right now.
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knickz

wtached the game online with the clips annoucers

1.called bargs andrea lol
2.had high praises for my boy jose
3.said they hope reggie is back for when the teams meet again so blake can shut him up
4.though they threw bargs under the bus all night they said he is going to be a force if the raps ever get a true centre
5.was suprised at the crowd because they thought toronto was a hockey town lol
6.loved demars game and improvement
7.ed davis was a steal for us at the draft
8.we need better shooters at the wing positions

it’s the best…didn’t really wanna listen to armstrong an delvin…the old guy for the clips is a bit of a blowhard tho

smushmush

The old guy is actually doing his job – it has been a long time the Clippers have had 2 freakish athletes in Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin, so it is understandable the excitement the guy has lol and the Clippers are good for 1-2 Top 10 sportscenter plays a game lol(he is just excited and he is bringing fans to LA Clippers games – a valid trade-off for looking like a blowhard).

knickz

lmao…he’s a bit crazy with it tho

smushmush

plus the Clippers announcers are straight, no-nonsense guys that analyse basketball really well(I have been watching some home Clippers games, I am sorry guys lol – that team could be dangerous and is looking like the next OKC in 2-3 years once they have the last piece for them in the draft – a decent wing that can shoot and rebound a la Jordan Hamilton or Tyler Honeycutt, in addition, I shudder to think how good Blake Griffin would be once he has some solid post moves and can hit mid-range jumpshots and free throws consistently – another Amar`e Stoudemire(with the rebounds as the cherry topping – now that is just the perfect combination lol) on our hands?) unlike our Raptors announcers that go into needless babble once the game is a blowout(where they could still comment on the game, point out mistakes the team is making and commending improvement).

Dan

Almost every championship team has 2 7-footers in the paint, or at least 1 and a second who plays big. The current “bigs” rotation can’t stay like this – Andrea, Ed OR Amir and a LEGIT 7-foot defensive presence would be great down the road. Love Ed and Amir but not sure we can roll with both long term, unless BC deals Bargs… which would be fine, but I can’t see it happening…

Rapture

a lot is riding on a good pick up. I feel like its easier to inherit a good shooting guard more so than a good point guard.

BC&JayHave2Go!!

Good win over an injury depleted Clipper team (no Kaman, Gordon).

Davis played a great game and is already showing his skills, instincts as a better rebounder and defender than Barg’s. I don’t care how tall Amir & Davis are they are keepers as the future Rap’s PF duo. Let them grow as players together. I think that Alex can work with Davis on his jumper ala Amir as he won’t be running off to a foreign country across the Ocean after the season is over.

Bargnani 21 shots (some nice ones) for 27 points? It’s time to seriously move him as Davis & Amir would benefit greatly from playing next to a real center like the Clippers Kaman or Haywood of Dallas. Jose plays like he’s scared to shoot. Hopefully he’s moved at the deadline or before next season. Bargnani 1 double/double on the season.

Miami is next up. Another L. It will be nice watching, listening as BC, Jay (Company Man), Matt & Jack eat crow as they all bashed Bosh in some form or fashion- especially early in the year when Miami was struggling.

Those with self class will cheer Bosh for his 7 year tenure as a Raptor, he did re-up once it’s not his fault that BC’s Raptor vision is bullchit ie 15-40. What would you have done?

Those severely effected by media soundbites taken out of context ie Bosh saying Toronto was different-smelled different plus the BC (& Jay too) Kool Aid media spins hype ie BC & Jay lying about Bosh quiting on team, along with other negative insinuations that none of his questioned teammates (Bargs, Sonny, Jose, Amir) agreed with, will boo him like mindless BC zombie puppets. These are the very same people that would have cheered him had he re-signed.lol

Btw- Peja looked really good the other day starting in Dallas at SF spreading the floor by hitting 3’s for the Mavs. BC helps out other NBA teams more than he does the Rap’s- how’s Ajuinca aka another soft jump shooting Euro center playing.lol By the way does Riley receive a salary from the Rap’s as well?

BC&JayHave2Go!!

If you boo Bosh for leaving you’re actually booing yourselves.

Boo Bosh during the game but only because he is on the other team like any other opposing player.

BC’s kool aid is like BBD- poison.

Theswirsky

who cares if fans boo Bosh. I sometimes wish fans would boo players on this team.

JustMe

Some Raptors fans just don’t get it…….Why boo Bosh you ask?

First of all, stop bringing up the argument that he is the greatest Raptor ever blah blah blah, he left because he wanted to win and be on a better team blah blah blah. Enough. The reason for anonymity is not WHY he left, but HOW he left. Need I go over it again? The Twitter taunts that always left Bosh having to explain himself, the interviews with American reports in which he would bad-mouth Canada how he “didn’t want to go there.” That “facial fracture” that caused him to miss the last stretch of games (come on, A LOT of players play with broken noses, cheeks, etc, it’s called wearing a mask.)

Heck, even some of Bosh’s colleagues have taken shots at him in comparing the situation (McGrady, Carmello, and even Phil Jackson), don’t believe me? Look it up, personally I liked the one by Phil, although the Kevin Durant one was priceless.

So please, stop with that nonsense, and do one of either: boo, or nothing at all, just don’t cheer the bum….at least Carter got us deeper into the playoffs..

smushmush

Yes, twittergate looks like a viable option to boo Bosh. If you have not erred, please cast the first stone – you are really being judgemental. Yes, these guys don`t know how to leave the organizations with class(Melo, LeBron and Bosh) but you can not deny their talent(Bosh has 3 franchise records in the 7 years he was here, that is work, he never dogged it, he never complained about the bad supporting cast he keeps getting from BC, he never complained about Bargs – one of the worst rebounding 7 footers in NBA history(that BC does not want to trade, because of his EGO and the fact that he will admit that pick is a great mistake – BC you can trade your number 1 pick like the Portland Trailblazers did with Bill Walton once they saw he was a glass body or they will do with Oden in the next few years if he can never be healthy lol, draft day mistakes can be made lol, it is not a perfect craft – the key is admitting the mistake and fixing it up quickly) and he came to work and gave his 100% as a big man and defacto number one option on this team – due to that alone as a smart thinking fan, he deserves my standing ovation).

Once he plays the game, an air of indifference is the best course of treatment for him. Put yourself in Bosh`s shoes again, if you were offered a better job with a lighter workload for more pay than your previous job or have to choose between a luxury car and a normal sedan, what will be your choice? The answer should be obvious. `Nuff said.

JustMe

You totally missed the point, especially with your last paragraph, which really disregarded everything I said, but then you prove my point in your second line. I think you don’t really know if you’re coming or going (you also for some reason bring Colangelo into this, which is a thing on its own)… Those 7 years that Bosh stayed? He just timed it with Wade and LeBron, didn’t want to risk signing long term contracts with other crappier teams that wanted him. Talent over class? Really? Any player that leaves like a jerk, instead of leaving gracefully, and CONTINUES to take shots at the city and/or team months after the departure is a bum in my books. Again, I couldn’t care less if he left, it’s a business, just leave out the cheap shots. There has been the classy guys of this team (Alvin Williams, JYD, among others) and then there have been the bums, the Vince Carter category where Bosh falls, I put T-Mac a step above them.

3 franchise records on an expansion team with less than 2 decades of existence that never had any great players is not as wonderful as you try to make it seem. Stop glorifying Bosh, and please educate yourself. I’ve read some dumb posts, but this one takes the cake, I guess “smushmush” is a good name for you, must be what’s inside that skull of yours.. Oh yeah, ‘Nuff said.

Nilanka15

As pointed out in an earlier post, all those “cheap shots” Bosh made were taken out of context. Bosh was actually talking about his own condo building when he mentioned the lack of TV. When he talked about Canada smelling different, he was speaking the truth. Canada does smell different. I notice it everytime I cross the border to Buffalo.

Although I admit he was teasing us with his tweets, I honestly don’t believe he had settled on Miami at that point. Wade was seriously considering the Bulls. And if Bosh and Wade hadn’t teamed up, LeBron would never have chosen Miami. That much is obvious.

I don’t mind the booing, but its intention should be to get inside the opponent’s head to help the home side win a tough game. But attempting to justify the hate by referencing poorly construed media spins, just isn’t convincing.

Bamm

Another Bosh apologist..

Nilanka15

Just telling it like it is. If Bosh truly hated Toronto, he wouldn’t have signed an extension, and he would’ve demanded a trade, or played poorly enough to force a trade (a la Vince Carter).

Bamm

He signed an extension because Wade and James did….duh. Notice the timing of free agency among them?

Nilanka15

The length of the extension had everything to do with maxing out BEFORE the new collective bargaining agreement. You’re a confused little boy. Coinciding with James and Wade didn’t require staying in Toronto….duh.

fig

What does Canada smell like?…take your nose out of your ass! lol

Nilanka15

Be “different” I meant cleaner. You’re the exact type I speak of who takes things out of context.